Istqb-CTFL Syllabus 2018 V3 PDF

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This is just the syllabus for the test of software testing and quality assurance...

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Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus

Version 2018 V3.1

International Software Testing Qualifications Board

International Software Testing ualifications Board

Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus

Copyright Notice This document may be copied in its entirety, or extracts made, if the source is acknowledged. Copyright Notice © International Software Testing Qualifications Board (hereinafter called ISTQB®) ISTQB® is a registered trademark of the International Software Testing Qualifications Board. Copyright © 2019 the authors for the update 2018 V3.1 Klaus Olsen (chair), Meile Posthuma and Stephanie Ulrich. Copyright © 2018 the authors for the update 2018 Klaus Olsen (chair), Tauhida Parveen (vice chair), Rex Black (project manager), Debra Friedenberg, Matthias Hamburg, Judy McKay, Meile Posthuma, Hans Schaefer, Radoslaw Smilgin, Mike Smith, Steve Toms, Stephanie Ulrich, Marie Walsh, and Eshraka Zakaria. Copyright © 2011 the authors for the update 2011 Thomas Müller (chair), Debra Friedenberg, and the ISTQB® WG Foundation Level. Copyright © 2010 the authors for the update 2010 Thomas Müller (chair), Armin Beer, Martin Klonk, and Rahul Verma. Copyright © 2007 the authors for the update 2007 Thomas Müller (chair), Dorothy Graham, Debra Friedenberg and Erik van Veenendaal. Copyright © 2005, the authors Thomas Müller (chair), Rex Black, Sigrid Eldh, Dorothy Graham, Klaus Olsen, Maaret Pyhäjärvi, Geoff Thompson, and Erik van Veenendaal. All rights reserved. The authors hereby transfer the copyright to the International Software Testing Qualifications Board (ISTQB®). The authors (as current copyright holders) and ISTQB® (as the future copyright holder) have agreed to the following conditions of use: Any individual or training company may use this syllabus as the basis for a training course if the authors and the ISTQB® are acknowledged as the source and copyright owners of the syllabus and provided that any advertisement of such a training course may mention the syllabus only after official accreditation of the training materials has been received from an ISTQB® recognized Member Board. Any individual or group of individuals may use this syllabus as the basis for articles, books, or other derivative writings if the authors and the ISTQB® are acknowledged as the source and copyright owners of the syllabus. Any ISTQB-recognized Member Board may translate this syllabus and license the syllabus (or its translation) to other parties.

Version 2018 V3.1 © International Software Testing Qualifications Board

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11 November 2019 For public release

International Software Testing ualifications Board

Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus

Revision History Version

Date

Remarks

ISTQB® 2018 V3.1

11-November-2019

Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus Maintenance Release with minor updates – see Release Notes

ISTQB® 2018

27-April-2018

Candidate general release version

ISTQB® 2011

1-Apr-2011

Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus Maintenance Release – see Release Notes

ISTQB® 2010

30-Mar-2010

Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus Maintenance Release – see Release Notes

ISTQB® 2007

01-May-2007

Certified Tester Foundation Maintenance Release

ISTQB® 2005

01-July-2005

Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus

ASQF V2.2

July-2003

ASQF Syllabus Foundation Level Version 2.2 “Lehrplan Grundlagen des Software-testens“

ISEB V2.0

25-Feb-1999

ISEB Software Testing Foundation Syllabus V2.0

Version 2018 V3.1 © International Software Testing Qualifications Board

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Level

Syllabus

11 November 2019 For public release

International Software Testing ualifications Board

Certified Tester Foundation Level Syllabus

Table of Contents Copyright Notice ............................................................................................................................................ 2 Revision History ............................................................................................................................................ 3 Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................................... 4 Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................................... 7 0 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................... 9 0.1 Purpose of this Syllabus .............................................................................................................. 9 0.2 The Certified Tester Foundation Level in Software Testing ........................................................ 9 0.3 Examinable Learning Objectives and Cognitive Levels of Knowledge ..................................... 10 0.4 The Foundation Level Certificate Exam .................................................................................... 10 0.5 Accreditation .............................................................................................................................. 10 0.6 Level of Detail ............................................................................................................................ 11 0.7 How this Syllabus is Organized ................................................................................................. 11 1 Fundamentals of Testing .................................................................................................................... 12 1.1 What is Testing? ........................................................................................................................ 13 1.1.1 Typical Objectives of Testing ................................................................................................ 13 1.1.2 Testing and Debugging ......................................................................................................... 14 1.2 Why is Testing Necessary? ....................................................................................................... 14 1.2.1 Testing’s Contributions to Success ....................................................................................... 14 1.2.2 Quality Assurance and Testing ............................................................................................. 15 1.2.3 Errors, Defects, and Failures ................................................................................................. 15 1.2.4 Defects, Root Causes and Effects ........................................................................................ 16 1.3 Seven Testing Principles ........................................................................................................... 16 1.4 Test Process .............................................................................................................................. 17 1.4.1 Test Process in Context ........................................................................................................ 17 1.4.2 Test Activities and Tasks ....................................................................................................... 18 1.4.3 Test Work Products ............................................................................................................... 22 1.4.4 Traceability between the Test Basis and Test Work Products .............................................. 24 1.5 The Psychology of Testing ........................................................................................................ 25 1.5.1 Human Psychology and Testing............................................................................................ 25 1.5.2 Tester’s and Developer’s Mindsets ....................................................................................... 25 2 Testing Throughout the Software Development Lifecycle.................................................................. 27 2.1 Software Development Lifecycle Models ................................................................................... 28 2.1.1 Software Development and Software Testing ....................................................................... 28 2.1.2 Software Development Lifecycle Models in Context ............................................................. 29 2.2 Test Levels................................................................................................................................. 30 2.2.1 Component Testing ............................................................................................................... 31 2.2.2 Integration Testing ................................................................................................................. 32 2.2.3 System Testing ...................................................................................................................... 34 2.2.4 Acceptance Testing ............................................................................................................... 36 2.3 Test Types ................................................................................................................................. 39 2.3.1 Functional Testing ................................................................................................................. 39 2.3.2 Non-functional Testing .......................................................................................................... 40 2.3.3 White-box Testing ................................................................................................................. 40 2.3.4 Change-related Testing ......................................................................................................... 41 2.3.5 Test Types and Test Levels .................................................................................................. 41 2.4 Maintenance Testing ................................................................................................................. 42 2.4.1 Triggers for Maintenance ...................................................................................................... 43 2.4.2 Impact Analysis for Maintenance .......................................................................................... 43 Version 2018 V3.1 © International Software Testing Qualifications Board

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3

Static Testing ...................................................................................................................................... 45 3.1 Static Testing Basics ................................................................................................................. 46 3.1.1 Work Products that Can Be Examined by Static Testing ...................................................... 46 3.1.2 Benefits of Static Testing ....................................................................................................... 46 3.1.3 Differences between Static and Dynamic Testing ................................................................. 47 3.2 Review Process ......................................................................................................................... 48 3.2.1 Work Product Review Process .............................................................................................. 48 3.2.2 Roles and responsibilities in a formal review ........................................................................ 49 3.2.3 Review Types ........................................................................................................................ 50 3.2.4 Applying Review Techniques ................................................................................................ 52 3.2.5 Success Factors for Reviews ................................................................................................ 53 4 Test Techniques ................................................................................................................................. 55 4.1 Categories of Test Techniques .................................................................................................. 56 4.1.1 Categories of Test Techniques and Their Characteristics .................................................... 56 4.2 Black-box Test Techniques ....................................................................................................... 57 4.2.1 Equivalence Partitioning ........................................................................................................ 57 4.2.2 Boundary Value Analysis ...................................................................................................... 58 4.2.3 Decision Table Testing .......................................................................................................... 58 4.2.4 State Transition Testing ........................................................................................................ 59 4.2.5 Use Case Testing .................................................................................................................. 59 4.3 White-box Test Techniques ....................................................................................................... 60 4.3.1 Statement Testing and Coverage.......................................................................................... 60 4.3.2 Decision Testing and Coverage ............................................................................................ 60 4.3.3 The Value of Statement and Decision Testing ...................................................................... 60 4.4 Experience-based Test Techniques .......................................................................................... 61 4.4.1 Error Guessing ...................................................................................................................... 61 4.4.2 Exploratory Testing ............................................................................................................... 61 4.4.3 Checklist-based Testing ........................................................................................................ 61 5 Test Management............................................................................................................................... 62 5.1 Test Organization ...................................................................................................................... 63 5.1.1 Independent Testing .............................................................................................................. 63 5.1.2 Tasks of a Test Manager and Tester .................................................................................... 64 5.2 Test Planning and Estimation .................................................................................................... 66 5.2.1 Purpose and Content of a Test Plan ..................................................................................... 66 5.2.2 Test Strategy and Test Approach .......................................................................................... 66 5.2.3 Entry Criteria and Exit Criteria (Definition of Ready and Definition of Done) ........................ 67 5.2.4 Test Execution Schedule ....................................................................................................... 68 5.2.5 Factors Influencing the Test Effort ........................................................................................ 68 5.2.6 Test Estimation Techniques .................................................................................................. 69 5.3 Test Monitoring and Control ...................................................................................................... 70 5.3.1 Metrics Used in Testing ......................................................................................................... 70 5.3.2 Purposes, Contents, and Audiences for Test Reports .......................................................... 71 5.4 Configuration Management ....................................................................................................... 72 5.5 Risks and Testing ...................................................................................................................... 72 5.5.1 Definition of Risk.................................................................................................................... 72 5.5.2 Product and Project Risks ..................................................................................................... 72 5.5.3 Risk-based Testing and Product Quality ............................................................................... 74 5.6 Defect Management .................................................................................................................. 75 6 Tool Support for Testing ..................................................................................................................... 77 6.1 Test Tool Considerations ........................................................................................................... 78 6.1.1 Test Tool Classification ......................................................................................................... 78 Version 2018 V3.1 © International Software Testing Qualifications Board

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6.1.2 Benefits and Risks of Test Automation ................................................................................. 79 6.1.3 Special Considerations for Test Execution and Test Management Tools ............................ 80 6.2 Effective Use of Tools ................................................................................................................ 81 6.2.1 Main Principles for Tool Selection ......................................................................................... 81 6.2.2 Pilot Projects for Introducing a Tool into an Organization ..................................................... 82 6.2.3 Success Factors for Tools ..................................................................................................... 82 7 References ......................................................................................................................................... 83 Standards ................................................................................................................................................ 83 ISTQB® documents ................................................................................................................................ 83 Books and Articles .................................................................................................................................. 84 Other Resources (not directly referenced in this Syllabus) .................................................................... 84 8 Appendix A – Syllabus Background ................................................................................................... 85 History of this Document ......................................................................................................................... 85 Objectives of the Foundation Certificate Qualification ............................................................................ 85 Objectives of the International Qualification .............................................................